US 6,484,390 B1Granted

Apparatus for reusing hangers with size indicia

AssigneeSpotless Plastics Pty. Ltd.

InventorsStanley F. Gouldson, Glenn Zimmerman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The specification discloses a system, method and apparatus for re-using garment hangers with size indicia mounted thereon. The method provides a closed loop for re-using the garment hangers by shipping hangers and the size indicia to clothing manufacturers, assembling the hangers with the size indicia and also hanging garments thereon, grouping the hangers with size indicia and garments thereon into batches which are then sent to retail stores for display and sale, at the point of sale removable a percentage of the hangers from the clothing and returning them to a reuse center where the size indicia is removed and the hangers cleaned before the hangers are returned to the clothing manufacturers to repeat the process. The supply of hangers may be augmented with newly molded hangers to maintain a constant and adequate supply for the clothing manufacturers.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A system for reusing plastic hangers having size indicia removably mounted thereon, said system comprising:

(a) a first plurality of hangers shipped to a plurality of clothing manufacturers at scattered geographic locals;
(b) a plurality of removable size indicia that are shipped to said plurality of clothing manufacturers at said scattered geographic locals, said removable size indicia adapted to be removably secured to said first plurality of hangers;
(c) automated means to assemble a single one of said plurality of hangers, a garment and a single one of said removable size indicia, said size indicia representative of said garment;
(d) a plurality of containers for collecting a plurality of said hangers with attached size indicia at a plurality or retail establishments following the sale and removal of the garment therefrom;
(e) automated means for removing said size indicia from said hangers at said reuse center and sorting said hangers to a predetermined percentage of the plurality of hangers that are returned and selected for reuse.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/215,957Filed 18 Dec 1998 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 May 1996
Granted: 26 Nov 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

A47F 7/24
For garments: clothes racks
A47G 25/1421
Connected to the hook member: at the top
B03B 9/061
Specially adapted for refuse: the refuse being industrial
B09B 3/30
Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless: involving mechanical treatment